Soft poop that just will NOT go away!

[Anna]

http://chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18506

I posted there that Furb had soft poop, which I thought to be caused by the stress of a cat that was lurking outside the window. It kinda cleared up. However, I see more very squishy, shiny (not as bad as before) poops in his cage! I have given him benebac, a part of a shreddie, and lifeline. I have Giardia medicine on hand, but I got him tested a week or so ago... What else could this be?

EDIT: He has an appetite still, drinks water, he eats mostly hay though, it seems.

 

[AZChins]

He could just have irritation in the intestines caused by something. It's hard to say what that something could be! I've had a few chins come in with diarrhea problems only to have nothing solve it. Change the food, change the hay, keep everything more than immaculate, probiotics added, etc etc etc. Sometimes it takes awhile to get a chin back to normal, almost always the chins do become completely normal over time. With one he was covered in dried diarrhea when he got here and it took a year for him to recover. He was on a bad diet and was given all sorts of treats and fed whatever the people wanted to give him...I swear they just wrecked his little intestines.

One thing that I like to try with the chins is dried peppermint leaves. I don't know if you have tried that beyond the peppermint that is in the Lifeline.

 

[caiti]

Could it be normal consistency changes?

I've kind of had the same problem. My chin had diarrhea in june, did all the home remedies, eventually after that didn't work but helped a little I got her tested and put her on antibiotics since the giardia test was negative. It got better but I noticed still slightly moist poos and maybe they were softer than I had recalled but I actually forgot what they were like before, after a while. Honestly, I have come to think it is just me freaking out over every little change she exhibits. Other than recent bout of gas that I thought was more serious than it was (go figure), she has been perfect. I still wonder about it if it's not some problem I just can't figure out sometimes.

Now, I don't know if your situation is the same, I can't tell you that but I guess I'm just advising you to be open to the possibility if you really can't think of anything else. Does it squish when he steps on it? That would probably be an issue, but, again, I can't really say what's going on.

Hopefully someone else can give you a better idea of what might be happening.

 

[Anna]

I have dried peppermint leaves from essentia. He loves them, and I gave him some a few minutes ago. I hope it works. I've been washing his liners like every two days and changing everything twice a day. I don't know what's going on but it's freaking me out. He's really really sensitive.

Thank you!

to caiti, yes it did squish when he first had this first bout of soft poop. now it doesn't get everywhere, but it does squish flat.

 

[ticklechin]

I would give him pet pectillin to start for a couple of days, 3ml twice a day and if that did not help I would assume he had a bit if a infection and try a course of a mild antibiotic such as albon-this I would do this if giardia was already ruled out such as this chin has and no other symptoms showed up.

 

[Anna]

I won't be able to get him to the vet immediately. Would baytril work?

 

[Stackie]

Baytril is too strong of an antibiotic with bad side effects for just blindly treating a chin without a diagnosis.

 

[ticklechin]

No, no baytril. Try the pet pectillin first for a couple of days, you get it at Petco/Petsmart in the dog/cat heath section.

You can get albon over the counter, that is how mild it is, the Lifeline lady sells it also, click on it to read about it

http://chocolatechinchillas.com/id4.html

 

[Anna]

Oh! okay, thank you. Yeah, he doesn't do too well on Baytril if anybody remembers the nightmare that ensued after a URI... heh

 

[AZChins]

The baytril would make the diarrhea worse, or cause other issues. Albon is good for diarrhea. I like the suspension from the vet, the chins take it much easier for me. After a few doses there is normally an appreciable improvement. I give it two to three times a day in extreme cases. (I am so glad that I haven't had to use it in such a long time though...yay.)

 

[Anna]

Petco doesn't have anything, taking him to the vet... will keep you all updated!

 

[ticklechin]

You may have missed it, this is what you want.

http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?familyid=4145&Ntt=pet pectillin&OneResultRedirect=1

 

[VolunteerChin22]

How long have you been giving the benebac/probiotics? They do take a little while to kick in - if you have only been giving them a few days that would not be long enough to see a difference...

 

[Anna]

Oh about a week or so, i don't know, it looks pretty bad.. I called Petco and asked if they had it and they said no, but the one up here in Eureka is pretty janky, they hardly have anything I'm looking for.

 

[Anna]

Update: Furby had an "excess" of bacteria in his poop. I was told to give lots of hay, some CC, and the diarrhea thing that Dawn suggested. I may have to order it online.

 

[ticklechin]

I got mine at the feed store, if you have one near you you could call and ask. Sulfadimethoxine is the generic name.

 

[Stackie]

Did they identify what the excess bacteria was?

 

[Anna]

like intestinal irritation, not some foreign infection i guess that needs lots of antibios. It wasn't giardia either...

 

[ticklechin]

Bacterial enteritis?